Gaffe-prone Prisons Minister Crispin Blunt has been blamed by David Cameron for last week’s go soft on rape’ fiasco.

Sources revealed that the Prime Minister personally rebuked Mr Blunt for provoking the row that left Justice Secretary Ken Clarke’s reputation damaged and led to calls that the Coalition was out of touch over crime.

Fiasco: Crispin Blunt, right, was confronted by the Prime Minister after the row that engulfed Ken Clarke, left

In extraordinary scenes over lunch in the Commons Members’ Dining Room, an angry Mr Cameron told Mr Blunt he had blundered by using rape to illustrate Government plane to halve sentences for criminals who immediately admit their guilt. Witnesses said Mr Cameron made it clear that he blamed the Minister for first using the rape example – the day before Mr Clarke sparked outrage by suggesting that some sexual assault crimes were worse than others.

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One witness said: ‘It was humiliating. The PM blamed Crispin for the whole mess. He told him, “You should never have used rape as an example for this.” ’

Mr Clarke plunged the Coalition into a huge row last week when he was challenged over the sentencing review in a BBC radio interview.

To the horror of fellow Ministers, the Justice Secretary suggested that ‘date rape’ was sometimes not as serious as other forms of sexual assault.

‘They do vary extraordinarily one from another and in the end the judge has to decide

'It was humiliating. The PM blamed Crispin for the whole mess. He told him, "You should never have used rape as an example for this."' - Witness

on the circumstances,’ he said.

Mr Clarke was later forced to backtrack, stating that ‘all rape is a serious crime’ and saying he was sorry if he had upset people by his remarks. But it is Mr Blunt, already responsible for a string of gaffes over the past 12 months, who has been blamed for creating the row in the first place.

The day before Mr Clarke’s interview, Mr Blunt raised the issue of rape to illustrate the sentencing proposals in reply to questions in the Commons.

He said: ‘Let us suppose that someone who is accused of rape co-operates with the authorities at the first opportunity, rather than puts their victim through the entire process of having to be prepared to give evidence and then having to give evidence. That is one example where there is a definitive benefit to the victim from encouraging the earliest possible guilty plea.’

Furious: Prime Minister David Cameron told Mr Blunt he had blundered by using rape to illustrate Government plans to halve sentences

Sources last night said that after a Prime Minister’s Questions session dominated by the row, Mr Cameron went straight to the Members’ Dining Room where he confronted Mr Blunt. One eyewitness said: ‘To be fair, Crispin came up to speak to the PM but it was clear what the boss thought.’

A Government source said: ‘Of all the things to raise to illustrate it, rape was about the most inflammatory. Why didn’t he mention shoplifting or fraud?’

Other MPs said it was inevi¬table that Mr Blunt would

be sacked or moved in any reshuffle. Last July, Mr Blunt suggested prisoners should be able to hold parties in jail. Two months later, he warned of ‘fruit riots’ if ¬prisoners were served with ‘undersize’ apples.

But friends rallied last night, saying: ‘It’s a bit rich to blame Crispin because Ken Clarke messed up a radio interview.’